Ties That Bind
by Nefertiri's Handmaiden
Summary: When one wizard saves another's life, it creates a bond between them. The story of the night James Potter saved Snape.


Ties That Bind  
  
Nefertiri's Handmaiden  
  
Disclaimer: Let's just say I don't own Harry Potter, and leave it at that, ok?  
  
Note: The story of how James Potter saved Snape from Lupin in his werewolf form. You all know you want to know what happened that night.  
  
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Severus Snape sat watching his class brewing their forgetfulness potions silently. He scanned the group, stopping when his gaze reached Harry Potter, who was working diligently on his potion. Snape's lip curled into a sneer.  
  
Stupid Potter. Stupid Potter and his stupid friends and his stupid resemblance to his father.  
  
His father.  
  
James Potter.  
  
If there was one person Snape loathed more than Harry Potter, it was James Potter.  
  
But no matter how much Snape loathed James, he also felt tied to him. It made him sick.  
  
Snape's mind wandered back. . . back to that night that James had saved him. . . back to the night he's first felt the connection.  
  
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Snape and James had never liked one another. It was common knowledge that they were basically arch-enemies. Snape had never liked any of James's friends, either. They were all sickeningly loyal to James, and never very nice to Snape.  
  
But that night, when Sirius had let it slip, or so it seemed, where Remus Lupin went once a month. . .  
  
Why had Snape trusted Sirius? Why hadn't he smelt a trap? Sirius was as cruel to Snape as James, if not more.  
  
But regardless of that blunder, Snape had made his way down the secret passage beneath the Whomping Willow. He'd been so full of excitement: once he knew Lupin's secret, he could tell the whole school. Lupin's misery would make Snape's day. It would make his year, in fact.  
  
He'd reached the end of the tunnel, and had quickly determined that he was in the Shrieking Shack. For a moment, he hadn't understood. Then he'd heard something.  
  
A howl. Long, cold, and terrifying.  
  
Lupin appeared out of the shadows, a fully grown werewolf, and Snape was at his mercy. He'd never been more scared. He tried to make it back to the tunnel entrance, but Lupin stood in his way. Shaking, Snape had backed into a corner, where Lupin trapped him, teeth bared.  
  
Then there had been another sound. Hoof beats. Snape could only assume, in his horror, that it was another animal come to kill him. But he had been wrong.  
  
It had been a great stag, bursting through the trapdoor from the tunnel. It was magnificent. The stag lunged at the werewolf, shoving it forcefully into a wall, away from Snape. The werewolf regained his wits quickly, and had snapped at the stag, which backed up just in time.  
  
The stag reared and his front hooves lashed out, catching the wolf in the side and knocking him down. Seizing the moment, the stag had looked at Snape. His eyes seemed strangely human. . .  
  
Snape may have been scared, but he wasn't beyond all logic. He threw himself forward into the tunnel. Once inside, he had run like hell until he was back on the school grounds.  
  
He'd stopped at the base of the Willow to catch his breath, and only seconds later, James Potter had emerged from the secret passageway.  
  
Snape had been shocked. He'd stared at Potter in confusion, but James had shaken him.  
  
"Are you alright?" James had asked. "Did he bite you?"  
  
Snape had pushed James away violently. "Potter," he'd spat maliciously. "This was your doing, wasn't it? This was your sick idea of a joke."  
  
James had shaken his head. "No. I had nothing to do with this. I didn't know until Sirius told me he told you."  
  
Snape didn't believe him. Why would he? "_You lie!_ You never liked me!"  
  
"No, Severus, I don't like you. I think you're a sniveling little coward. However, I don't believe you deserve the same unpleasant fate as Remus."  
  
Snape shook his head. "I don't believe you, Potter, and now I'm going to tell everyone what your little friend Lupin is. What you are."  
  
James had grabbed him and hissed, "If you do, I swear that next time I won't be there to save your sorry ass."  
  
Snape had pushed him away and stumbled back toward the castle.  
  
"You hear me, Snape?" James had called. "It's a promise!"  
  
When Snape had looked back, James was gone, and a great stag stood in his place, pawing the ground angrily and glaring at him. Snape had shivered, and returned to the Slytherin Common Room.  
  
He'd never told anyone about that night.  
  
And he couldn't help but feel that he owed James something.  
  
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To this day, Snape couldn't shake that feeling. He glared more intensely at Harry Potter, who finally noticed someone was watching him. Harry looked up at Snape in confusion.  
  
"Yes, sir?" Harry asked.  
  
"Five points from Gryffindor, Potter, for speaking out of turn," spat Snape. Harry looked outraged. "Do not make me take five more, Potter," Snape added. "Get to work."  
  
Harry had looked down to his potion, and Snape could tell he'd gotten to Potter. He sneered again, and tried to tell himself he didn't owe James Potter anything, and therefore didn't owe Harry Potter anything.  
  
He couldn't.  
  
There are many ties that bind us, and one of these is debt. Snape could not forget the tie that bound him, irrevocably, to the Potters, no matter how hard he tried.  
  
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End file.
